


Shoot Your Shot

by WinterSabbath



Series: frostiron fluff fics we (don't really) need [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Crushes, Fluff, M/M, Matchmaker Natasha Romanov, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, POV Third Person, Pining, Pining Loki (Marvel), Pining Tony Stark, Therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 14:15:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20565710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterSabbath/pseuds/WinterSabbath
Summary: Natasha prides herself in being quite a good therapist but certain frustrations make their way into her office when two of her patients seem to have fallen in love with each other yet refuse to admit it.---“I like him.”“Have you asked him out?”“No, of course not! Why would I?”





	Shoot Your Shot

**Author's Note:**

> bingo square n3: free space

People went to therapy for many of different reasons and Natasha has been a therapist long enough to say she has encountered most, if not all, of them. The traumatized, the depressed, the emotional, the upset, the lost, the stressed, the _my friend/relative forced me to be here_, the couples, the post-breakup and _so_ much more.

Tony Stark was no different. He was a well-known billionaire, sure, but he still fit into the categories. He was just like everyone else.

He fell more into the traumatized and the depressed category. His Afghanistan trip was not the best thing to happen to him, to say the least. It had been hard to get Tony to open up to Natasha or even talk to her. This was probably because he also fell into the _my friend forced me to be here _category. Hence, the initial unwillingness to participate.

But they have been having sessions for four months now and Natasha could say that progress was being made. She would also go as far as saying she knew Tony quite well now.

And so when Tony walked in with a goofy smile on his face, his sunglasses amiss from his face and his posture relaxed—Natasha was certain something was different. Something _good_.

“Hey, Tony,” Natasha greeted him, giving him a smile.

“Hey, doc,” Tony grinned. He sat on the couch and then lied down, putting an arm behind head.

Natasha raised an eyebrow as she took out Tony’s file. “You seem happier than usual.”

“Oh, huh?” Tony cleared his throat and attempted to compose his expression into a more neutral one. Natasha gave him time to tell her voluntarily. And then after a moment’s silence, he did. “I just, uh, I’ve been talking to someone recently. And we were texting just now, so.”

So he found someone. That was a nice start. Natasha jotted it down and then sat beside the couch. “Where did you two meet?”

“In a bar, like most people do,” T0ny admitted. “It’s not the most romantic of meetings but we’ve been talking non-stop since. I like him. He’s funny and kind.”

Tony seemed to be completely head over heels. This man could be a lasting factor for Tony’s happiness if it worked out. “So, have you asked him out?”

Tony gasped. “No, of course not, why would I do that?”

Natasha blinked at that. “Well... because... it’s the thing people do when they like someone. Plus, if he really makes you happy...”

“Ugh, no! He doesn’t like me that way, alright? Best to leave us as friends.”

“How do you know he doesn’t like you that way?” Natasha asked. They had met in a _bar_, of all places. Why would Tony assume they would be nothing but friends? Then again, Natasha had yet to see the guy or know what he was like.

Tony shrugged helplessly. “Loki’s not gay.”

“Loki?” Natasha resisted the urge to check her files. _Loki Laufeyson _was one of her patients but for one, she didn’t know if that was who Tony was talking about (but how many Lokis existed, anyway?) and even _if _that was who Tony was talking about, due to legal reasons, she can’t disclose that she knew Loki.

“Yeah that’s his name.” Tony grabbed a pillow and put it over his face, mumbling, “I’m a hopeless gay, Nat.”

“Oh, don’t be like that,” Natasha sighed.

Tony groaned. “Let’s talk about something else. This is just making me sad.”

With another sigh, Natasha relented. “Alright. How was the rest of your week?”

\--- --- ---

It was three hours after Tony Stark had left that Loki Laufeyson walked into Natasha’s office dressed in his usual green shirt and black pants.

“Hey, Loki.”

“Good afternoon, doctor,” Loki said with much less cheer than Tony. He sat down but didn’t lie. He never did. Natasha had no idea why but if that was what made Loki comfortable, she wasn’t going to object.

Loki fell under the lost category. He felt stuck in life and he was having trouble finding who he was especially after finding out he was adopted. That was the catalyst and the reason behind him finding a therapist.

“So, how was your past two weeks? Meet anyone? We haven’t spoken in a bit,” Natasha asked casually. Okay, so she was trying to dig for information. Who could blame her?

Loki narrowed his eyes. He seemed to be on the verge of denying it but then his form slouched and he closed his eyes. “It is quite a tragedy, if I am being honest.”

Natasha frowned. “Why so?”

“I have met someone, yes. But I am forever resigned to eternal unrequited love and adoration.”

“Why do you say this? Have you tried to ask him how he feels?”

Loki shook his head slowly, his hair falling on his face. And then he sighed. “He does not like me back—he cannot. He is of a different social class, so far from mine that he is unattainable. Had he been a normal person, I would have already asked him out but...”

Natasha leaned forward. “But?”

“But he’s Tony Stark,” Loki said to the ground, “so I cannot.”

Natasha felt two things at once. One was _joy _because she was right and maybe she could find a way to make this work and give both of them the happiness they deserve. The other was _frustration _because these two were idiots.

She understood what Loki felt, though. Even she would be intimidated if she had to date Tony Stark. She understood why Loki would feel much too awkward to ask Tony out. And so the only solution was to have Tony ask Loki out. And then maybe Loki would cease feeling as though there was a barrier between them.

But first she had to figure out how to convince Tony that asking Loki out would be worth it.

Loki was a good guy, though. There was a lot Tony could find to be worth it.

\--- --- ---

She put their scheduled appointments the following week right next to each other so the moment Tony walked out, Loki would be right outside.

“If he’s a good guy, Tony, he might be worth the risk,” Natasha said as her final parting words to Tony for that day. She brought him to the door.

Tony sighed, a hand on the door handle. “I’m just scared of the rejection, you know? It’s not worth risking the friendship. Things might become awkward.”

“Just... give it some thought,” Natasha insisted. With some persuasion, she knew Tony would be convinced at some point. But she needed him to be convinced now—right before the door opened.

“Fine, fine,” Tony huffed. He pulled the door open and then stepped out. As he turned to his right, he stopped and stared. “Loki.”

Loki was staring back at him with an equally shocked face. “Anthony.”

It took a while before Tony was able to gather the words that died in his throat. “Wh—what are you doing here?”

“I...” Loki motioned to Natasha, “I go to therapy, remember? What are _you _doing here?”

“I go to therapy too,” Tony murmured. And then his head shot to Natasha. “You! This is a set-up, wasn’t it? You knew him all this time!”

“I neither confirm nor deny that accusation.” Natasha folded her arms and then tilted her head towards Loki, giving Tony a stern look that said _go fucking ask him out already_. And then she gave them both a sarcastic smile. “I’ll be waiting for you inside, Loki. You two gentlemen take all the time you need.”

And then she disappeared back into her office, eagerly waiting for Loki to come inside. Loki’s expression would be all the answer she needed.

It was a good ten minutes before Loki was walking inside with a small blush on his cheeks and a smile on his face.

“Thank fuck,” Natasha whispered under her breath.


End file.
